


A Brother's Love

by DragonGirl218



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: AU where Izunia loved his brother, But the Astrals were a bunch of assholes, Especially Bahamut, Gen, Healer Ardyn, Pre-Canon, Speculation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 21:06:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10670763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonGirl218/pseuds/DragonGirl218
Summary: After Noctis was absorbed into the Crystal, Ardyn returned to his hometown of Insomnia and reclaimed his place upon the Throne of Lucis.  He visits the Citadel's garden before the unending night can wilt all the flowers, and stumbles upon a trinket that makes him realize so much.(What if Izunia had a part in the Prophecy as well, that went against everything he stood for but which he couldn't escape from?)





	A Brother's Love

While Ardyn strolled through the Citadel's garden, taking in the beauty of the flowers before the eternal night sapped them of their strength, he caught sight of a tall, seemingly ancient tree.  He smiled ever so faintly as he approached and placed his hand upon the trunk lovingly.  "I remember planting you as a sapling, when I was but a boy."  It was then that a flash of color caught his eye.  He walked around the tree, keeping his hand on its bark, until he saw what had caught his eye -- an almost impossibly old yet familiar strip of orange cloth tied in a bow, fluttering in the wind and connected to a chain of ribbon of varying ages that tied the bow to the tree.

As Ardyn stared at the bow, his hand still on the trunk, the implications hit him.  Izunia had known the bow was his addition.  Even though the man had sentenced him to his death and erased him from history, he was apparently too fond of his brother to get rid of every last trace of him.  The Accursed rest his forehead against the strong, rough bark as tears fell, watering the ages old roots.  Somewhere, deep in his heart, Izunia _had_  cared about him until the end...

Amidst his tears, Ardyn noticed something at his feet.  He knelt down, brushing old leaves and detritus out of the way to lay eyes on a small metal plaque.  It was nearly engulfed by the tree's ever-expanding trunk and root system, the letters worn down by the ages, words written in a dialect long dead.  Still, if he focused, he could read it.   


_ "Dedicated to a good man lost too soon.' _

 

*~*~*

 

Izunia startled awake, heart pounding out of his chest as he clenched sweat-drenched sheets with white knuckles.  That  _ had _ to have been a nightmare, right?  Bahamut had appeared before him in his dream and delivered news that couldn't be real -- it just couldn't!  The Prince knew that panicking would do no good, so he took a deep breath and got up, pushing the dream from his mind.   
  
He walked down the hall to the dining room.  He was up earlier than usual, so he had no idea if breakfast would be ready yet, but he had to go there.  He had to move, to keep from dwelling.  He barely caught the blur of red-topped-black out of the corner of his eye before Crown Prince Ardyn scooped him up in a hug.

"Brother~!  You'll never believe it~!  Bahamut has given me the power to save our people!  Look!"  He put Izunia down and held his hands a little bit apart as golden light sparked to light between his hands, illuminating his own golden eyes and giving a rich, sunny tone to his vibrant red hair.  Though Ardyn was the elder brother, he was always so energetic and happy and pure-hearted, compared to the younger Izunia who tended to be withdrawn, e xcept around his brother.

Ardyn looked down at him -- gods, puberty hit the Crown Prince like a Behemoth when he was a teen, and now as a young adult he was a towering beanpole -- oh so expectantly.  Normally Izunia would be jumping for joy and fawning over his amazing, talented older brother; today, however, he felt felt his heart sink into his stomach and beyond.  His own dream... had been true, then.  Some day in the future, he would have to kill Ardyn with his own hands; make his beloved brother hate him with every fiber of his being, so that the King of Light could one day rid the world of the Starscourge no matter how good and pure the King would be.   
  
"...Brother?" Ardyn asked, his head tilted to the side in concern.  Izunia snapped out of his thoughts and hugged his elder brother tightly, tears streaking down his face.   
  
"You're... going to do a lot of good.  I know it, brother," he forced himself to say, unable to hint at their true fates.

 

*~*~*

 

Izunia watched from one of the higher rooms of the Citadel as Ardyn left the gates of Insomnia on the back of his trusty black chocobo.  They were well and truly adults now.  Their mother, the Queen, had died several years ago, and Ardyn had taken on his role as King as easily as a sahagin to water.  Of course, part of taking care of the Kingdom involved venturing among the countryside to heal citizens of the Scourge and fend off the most persistent of monsters and daemons.  During Ardyn's time away, Izunia acted as Regent in his brother's stead.   
  
Some day, he would be King.  He would  _ make _ himself King.  And he hated the very thought of it.  So he did his job as Prince and Regent to the best of his ability, without daring to think of his fate.   
  
He sighed and turned away from the window, only to come face-to-face with Bahamut in his Messenger form.  Izunia let out a huff.  "We've been over this, Draconian.  He's still pure of heart and loves his people more than his own life.  I won't snuff out that light."   
  
_ "If you truly love your brother, you must fulfill your role soon.  He will become the Accursed no matter how he dies.  Would you rather he be forced to wander Eos in his old age, feeble and unable to take care of himself?" _   
  
Before Izunia could retort, Bahamut vanished, and he was left with a heavy truth in his heart.  He would have to kill his brother when he returned, for his own good.

 

*~*~*

 

Izunia was silent as he and his guard sailed to Angelgard.  It wasn't unusual, as he'd always been the type to think long and deliver concise orders.  Ardyn had been gone several weeks, as usual, which had been more than enough time for him to secretly sew unrest and distrust among the people, and to give special orders to his soldiers.   
  
Be vicious.  But do not kill.  And do not get hurt.  He would not let his brother feel like a monster for hurting his own citizens, even in his own defense.   
  
This would be his first time seeing Ardyn since the Healer had left on his journey.  The sight would be awful, he knew.  But this was part of his divinely-decreed duty.  As the boat landed on the shore of the island, he stepped out and steeled himself.  Though he wasn't meant to be King, he'd been taught since childhood how to bury his emotions in the name of duty.   
  
He entered the tomb and his breath hitched in his throat as he saw the figure at the far end -- his brother, chained by the arms to the wall, bruised and bloodied.  Ardyn's hair had never looked so dull as it did compared to the vibrant crimson of his own fresh blood.  Izunia stepped forward, his boots clicking against the stone, and Ardyn looked up.  He was stunned for a moment, but then hope flashed in his eyes.   
  
"Brother!  Oh, praise the Six, I thought I'd--" he coughed violently, blood spluttering out of his mouth, but he pressed on.  "I thought I'd never see you again!  Please, you must sort this out; they say I'm a daemon, but... But you know I'm not...!" he cried out, pleaded, nearly  _ begged _ , as unkingly as it was.

Izunia took a breath, seemingly unfazed by his brother's pleas, and crossed the distance between them.  "You are not a daemon.  You are worse.  You are the host of the Scourge, your very mind and soul twisted by their influence.  You are the source of all evil in our Star," he said, with his emotionless Regent tone.   
  
Ardyn gaped, unable to form words for several long moments.  "B-brother...?" he asked, fear creeping into his voice.   
  
"I am not your brother, monster!" Izunia snapped, voice dripping with rage.  "You are a blight upon the fair land of Eos, and I will end your pitiable existence!"   
  
Ardyn opened his mouth to speak, but all that came out was a rough cough, full of blood.  His eyes went wide as he looked down at the sword impaled between his ribs, through his lung and heart.  He started at Izunia, who watched as the embers of hatred began to burn before those pure, golden eyes went glassy with death.

Izunia slowly loosened his grip on his sword and collapsed onto his knees.  "I'm sorry, brother.  I'm so, so sorry.  I love you, I love you so, so much, and yet...  I hope you hate me.  I love you enough to want you to hate me so that you can fulfill the Prophecy I was given..." he sobbed.  Even now, he looked up to his elder brother...


End file.
